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New video, photos showcase Curiosity's mission on Mars

New video and panoramic photos offer some of the clearest views yet of the Mars rover Curiosity's mission.

NASA released raw footage of the Curiosity rover's landing on Mars. The video depicts the last couple of minutes before Curiosity reached its landing site in Gale Crater.

The craft moved about 6 meters from its initial landing spot during the test drive -- first forward about 4½ meters, then 120 degrees in place and finally back 2½ meters. As it moved forward, its boxy head turned from side to side, taking shots of its wheels in the process.

Visible in the panorama, in addition to the rover's tracks, are a 3.5-inch rock where the drive began, marks left by the rover's descent during landing and the lower slopes of Mount Sharp.

Within several days, the rover is set to take off for its first potential drill target, Glenelg, where three types of terrain meet.

Controllers aren’t sure how long the drive may take, as they may stop to check out interesting things along the way, said deputy project scientist Joy Crisp. For example, the team plans to make a pit stop if it finds soil fine enough to practice using its scooping tool.

NASA officials also announced that the touchdown spot has been officially named Bradbury Landing, in honor of the renowned science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, who died earlier this year. He would have been 92 on Wednesday.

Times Science Writer Amina Khan discusses the mission in the video above.